1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rocket, and more particularly to a rocket used for an educational program in educational organizations such as universities.
2. Description of Prior Art
For a few years, in educational organizations such as universities, educational programs have been carried out in order to provide an opportunity to study or research a rocket with students. Main stream of the rockets used for such educational programs are so-called “water rockets” using PET bottles or “model rockets” using small amount of explosives. However, most of these rockets are not more than toys, and the level of the rockets is not high enough to be suitable for a research in a university.
As a result, it is desired to have a rocket which is suitable for using in the educational program. However, it is not easy to obtain such rocket suitable for the educational program, since such rocket has to satisfy all of the following requirements.
Specifically, first of all, the rocket itself should be safe enough to be used. As long as the rocket flies, it would be impossible to eliminate all the danger caused thereby. Still, such danger should be kept within the level of the risk ordinarily encountered with in a laboratory of a university. Specifically, the rocket cannot employ mechanisms which discharge hazardous materials or those which involve combustion reaction, while it can employ mechanisms which have high-pressure, high-temperature or extremely low-temperature states of ordinary level.
Secondly, the rocket should not adversely affect on environment. For example, it is important to refrain from discharging chloride gas, which is inevitable for a solid rocket. This is also true from the viewpoint of safety.
Thirdly, the rocket should be extremely low cost. For the rocket is used in the educational program, the rocket needs to be so inexpensive that the cost for the rocket can be covered by the budget allocated to a laboratory of a university. From this viewpoint, the rocket cannot employ complicated mechanisms or costly propellants or materials.
Fourthly, the rocket should be worth studying as a research of university level. If the rocket is not more than a toy, such a rocket is not suitable for using in the educational program, even if it is safe and low cost. As a rocket used in the educational program, such rocket should employ, among others, techniques or engine functions which have never been tried by conventional aerospace organizations.
Fifthly, the rocket should have a possibility to be developed to a practical rocket. If the rocket has a possibility to be used in zero gravity experiments or as a rocket for launching a small satellite, the educational program will become active.